Mystère
by WinterGuardianAngel24
Summary: IMPORTANT NOTICE, PLEASE CLICK ON PROFILE TO SEE.
1. Prologue: The Man in Black

**Happy birthday to you~! Happy birthday to you~! Happy birthday dear Lily (the less irritable side of WinterLily24)~! Happy birthday to you~!**

**The next chapter shall be coming out before your surgery and the last chapter won't be until afterwards, so you have to make it through this one! Or you'll never get to know the ending!**

**To all my other wonderful readers, I hope you enjoy this three-shot!**

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_I'm assumed to be a gift that's priceless, that can't be bought or sold. My value is far greater than a mountain made of gold. What am I?_

_Friendship_

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Prologue: The Man in Black

You gaze at your small café with pride, watching the steady flow of people come and go. You hadn't planned on this small business becoming as popular as it was, you had even chosen a more secluded area just so that it wouldn't be near the mainstream. After all, this café was more of a cover than anything else. But, you suppose it was a good hobby as well.

In actuality, you were the author Luca Starling. Your books were actually selling very well, and the paparazzi were going wild with trying to figure out who you were. However, you refused to reveal your true identity as you didn't like the idea of opening yourself up to stalkers of fan and media alike. You valued your privacy, thank you very much.

On the other hand, perhaps it was a good thing that your small restaurant was able to maintain such good income, as it would be strange for a rundown old shack to stay in business. More than that, you enjoyed the company. Talking to the customers, new and old alike, allowed you to interact with more people than if you just hid inside your house all day. It also gave you a chance to try out new recipes that you had been experimenting on during your off days from writing. So far you could do no wrong, as your customers would always praise your desserts and meals. Your café was open from the early morning to late in the afternoon, breakfast and lunch being your main rush hours.

Even if running this café was more of a hobby, you took pride in your work. So part of your effort to make the environment more enjoyable was to decorate the small building. You enjoyed dressing up your shop according to the upcoming holidays, and during the long durations in between celebrations then you'd decorate according to the season. Some of your customers would ask if you were for hire to decorate homes or events, but you'd always turn them down politely with a small smile.

You worked alone in this café, but that was by choice. You figured that it would be easy enough to work on your stories during the slow hours without worry that someone might see. You also didn't have to worry too much about figuring out wages and the like. Besides, it was only a small café. You could manage. It's not like you had to worry about the dinner on slaughter as well.

xXx

One day, after the lunch rush had slowed down, a man dressed in black came in. You took in his white dress shirt and fedora with an orange stipe, since those were the only lighter colors you could easily spot on the man. But more noticeable than that was a pair of curly sideburns. You really wanted to reach out and touch them, but restrained yourself as it would be rude.

You smile politely and greet the newcomer. "What would you like to order?"

The man didn't answer right away, looking down at a few of your signs on the counter before finally looking up. "An egg."

You blink. "Excuse me?"

"Your riddle," the man nodded to the small sign. "In marble walls as white as milk; Lined with a skin as soft as silk; Within a fountain crystal clear; A golden apple doth appear; No doors there are to this stronghold; Yet thieves break in and steal the gold. The answer is an egg."

You blink again before you realize he's talking about your little game of the riddle of the day. You laugh lightly. "So it is. I had forgotten since nobody seems to either like riddles or can't figure them out."

The man replied with a small smirk. "It was rather easy to figure out."

You nod again. "It was meant to be, but you're the first to answer one of my riddles correctly. Congratulations. Your prize is any drink I have available on the house."

The man nodded. "I'll get an espresso."

"Alright. Would you like anything else? I serve a variety of desserts and a few meals if you're looking for something to eat. Though, I'm afraid you'll have to pay for your food."

The man smirked again. "That's fine." He ordered his meal and seated himself in a secluded corner.

You made his drink first and went out to serve the man so that he would have something while he waited.

"You know," he said before you could leave, "this is the first time I have seen this shop."

"Yes, well, I'm still rather new. I've only been in business for a couple years now," you admit to the man.

"You're doing rather well then. Many of the people where I work praise your shop." The man took a whiff of his coffee before taking a sip.

"Oh? I'm very glad. I didn't think so many people would like my cooking. This was really just a hobby." You chuckle and observe the man's reaction. "What about you? Is your coffee to your liking? I've heard rumors of a man in black who's very strict about his espresso, but I didn't think that they were actually true."

It was meant as a joke, but the man smirked and nodded. "I've tried every shop in this town, but no one can make my drink the way I like it."

You laugh. "You must have a very specific taste then, no? So then is my brew to your liking? If not, I can make another, it is on the house after all and I don't like leaving a customer unsatisfied."

The man took another sip. "Yours will do."

You laugh again, but can't help but blush as well. "I have a feeling that something like that from a man like you, is the best compliment I can get."

You leave after that to finish up making his meal and moving on to another customer who had wandered in for a late lunch. You try not to blush anymore when you catch the man staring at you a few more times, but fail each time. You didn't know whether it was unnerving that he was bold enough to stare outright or if you should be pleased.

xXx

However, after that the man in black came by your shop every day after the lunch rush. He would tease you most of them time, seeming to enjoy your flustered expressions. You didn't know his name for the longest time and he didn't know yours. You merely addressed each other as 'Sir' and 'Miss'.

A few months later a curious young girl, who was probably in either high school or college wandered into your shop a short while before closing.

You smiled at the girl. "Yes? May I help you?"

"Ano…I was wondering if there was a chance that perhaps you were hiring…" The girl said shyly, a blush adorning her face.

You smile apologetically. "I wasn't really. I've never really been _that_ busy. And, if I remember correctly, I believe you already have a job at that ramen house down the street. May I know the reason why you're looking for another job?"

"Well, you see, I'm trying to pay for my classes in college. My uncle offered to help, but I really want to be independent and not rely on him so much," the girl told you.

You study the girl before making your decision and nodding to yourself. "Well, I suppose I could use some help during the lunch rush to possibly closing. But I don't think I have any other hours available, however, this should leave you open for your other job as well as school. Is that good enough?" You held out your hand.

"Oh yes!" The girl said excitedly, grasping your hand. "Thank you very much!"

You laugh and nod. "Well I'm (y/n), but you can call me boss lady if you want." You wink to show that your last statement was just a joke.

The girl smiled and bowed slightly. "My name is I-Pin. Thank you very much for having me."

You wave the girl's thanks away. "Well, I suppose you can just start tomorrow. You don't mind being a waitress for me do you? That'll help open me up to more time in the kitchen so that I can get orders out faster."

I-Pin nodded eagerly. "That will be more than fine. Thank you very much."

"Enough thanks. You should head home for now. I'll see you tomorrow." You wave good bye and close up your shop.

You can't leave just yet, since you have to take inventory and make sure you had enough ingredients for the rest of the week. This past month has been busier than normal, and you were running a little low. So to stay on the safe side, you were going to have to go shopping.

On your way out, you take a few leftovers and a plain latte with you. You were going to have to pass the business district so you figured that you might as well stop by and give your best friend a nice snack. He was the only one besides your publisher who knew of your alias. Not even your parents knew your secret (pride loosens the lips quite easily after all).

You arrive at the foot of Vongola Corp. and walk in with ease. It wasn't your first time walking into an executive building on your own, as you had not only visited quite frequently, but you had to visit your publisher many times, so you didn't mind the few stares you got along your way. You were actually familiar enough with the building layout and your friend's schedule. Yeah, you had visited _that_ many times. It was almost a little sad.

"Little Miss coffee shop."

You pause mid stride and turn around. You laugh when you spot the familiar curly sideburns. "Well if it isn't Mr. Espresso only."

The man nodded in acknowledgment. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? I'm-"

"Sunny!" A new voice calls out and the two of you turn to watch the newcomer approach.

"Ryan," you nod. "I was just coming to see you. I have some left over treats that I thought you might like."

"Ah. You're an angel! That's _just_ what I needed right now!" The sandy blond haired man said, giving you a one armed hug and taking the offered bag and coffee. He turned back to the man in black and bowed. "It's good to see you again Mr. Reborn. I see you've met my dearest friend here. Have you been to her café yet? It's absolutely wonderful."

You slam a fist on top of your friend's head with a bright innocent smile. "Now what have I told you about advertising my shop around your work? I told you that I don't appreciate your constant nagging of others to visit."

Ryan hissed and rubbed his head. "As violent as ever I see."

You hum a little. "Only to you, dearest idiot."

The man in black smirked. "I suppose I should formally introduce myself so as to not cause any more confusion. My name is Reborn."

"Director and Head of the Sun Division and Medical Departments, as well as the second in command of Arcobaleno Corp and the advisor of Vongola Corporation," Ryan finished for the other.

"Oh…" You sweat drop a little and laugh nervously. "Well I feel a whole lot smaller now. I think I preferred thinking you were just some wealthy business man with an unknown status."

Reborn just smirked.

You swallow anxiously. "Well…I'm (f/n l/n), but most people just call me Sun-Sun or Sunny."

"You forgot Giggly Puff, Laffy Taffy, Jumping Jelly Bean, Band Geek, Miss Banker, Ski Bum, and Snow-a-holic," Ryan ticked off on his fingers.

You smile brightly and slap the back of your idiot friend's head, fully aware that your eye was twitching. "Says the King of Monkeys, Orcha Dork, Choir Nerd, and Lord of the Gamers."

"Oh, I think Kitten and Kitty were pretty common too," Ryan added.

Your nose twitches and faster than the eye could blink, you took back your bag of goodies and held it up to the man in black. "Mr. Reborn, would you like all of these instead?"

"Ah! My treats!" Ryan called out in despair.

Reborn raised an eyebrow at your whole conversation, but didn't make any other move.

You sent a pleading look. "I admonish parental figures returning treats that have been confiscated, but I don't want these to go bad, so would you please do me the favor of taking these off my hands?"

The eyebrow only went a little higher.

You sigh heavily. "Your coffee will be on the house tomorrow."

Reborn smirked and took the bag.

You smile. "Thank you very much Mr. Reborn!" Meanwhile, Ryan cried streams of depression from losing his midday snack.

"You don't have to use such formalities. Reborn would work just fine." The man in black stuffed his free hand into his pocket.

You shake your head. "Oh no. I could never be so disrespectful to someone of your position. Besides, I have to thank you for looking after my friend. I know that he can be more than a handful most of the time. I apologize for all the imbecilic things he has done so far that may have caused you any problems."

"It's fine, as long as he meets his quota. In addition, his constant praise of your shop led me to some place that could actually make a decent cup of coffee, so we're even. After all, I'd rather not have to return to making my own cup of coffee during my breaks."

You blush at the praise. "Ah-, yes-, um well-, thanks…"

Ah…That was pathetic. Why couldn't you think of something else!

"So what are you doing after this?" Ryan asked, jumping back into the conversation.

"I have to go shopping. For some reason I've been getting more customers, so I really need to stock up more," you inform the other. "I only came here for a quick visit and to drop off some food since I'm sure you're busy."

"Ah!" Ryan jumped a little when he remembered that he was in fact busy and glance down in shock at the time displayed on his watch. "I'd love to chat more, but I have to finish up this project so that we can send it in before the office closes. I'll catch you later, Sunny!" The blond kissed you on your cheek in goodbye and ran off.

You sigh wearily and shake your head. "That idiot."

Reborn chuckled softly. "Well, do you mind if I escort you for the rest of your trip? It would be a nice excuse to leave the office early."

You blush furiously and shake your hands in front of you. "Oh no! I couldn't possibly ask you to do that!"

"Alright, then I'm not asking, I'm telling. Now let's go." With that the man started to walk back down the hallway.

"Ah- huh- What!" You ran after the man. "Please don't trouble yourself! It's just a little shopping!"

You protest all the way down until you two are finally outside the building, where Reborn stops and turns to face you again. "If you don't stop protesting I'll be adding another free cup of coffee," he warned.

"What! You can't do that!" You exclaim.

"One."

"That's not fair!"

"Two."

"What on earth makes you think that you could-"

"Three."

"Shutting up now." You clamp your mouth shut in defeat, your face red in embarrassment and frustration.

Reborn smirked and continued escorting you throughout the duration of your shopping trip. It turned out that allowing him to follow you around wasn't all that bad. You got to learn a little more about him and he managed to force you to reveal a great deal about yourself by manipulating your words just the right way and asking questions that caught you off guard more times than you were willing to admit. But it was…fun.

Reborn finds out that your relationship with Ryan was more of a sibling bond, even though your family constantly teases you that you'd marry the boy one day. However, you could only ever reply with gagging motions. Ryan was fun and the best friend in the whole world, but…he was an idiot. The best way to describe him was the big brother you're glad you never had. He also finds out that your mother gave the Kitten and Kitty pet names to you, before she passed away after giving birth to your younger sister. You never blamed your sister, your mother was ill and it was just her time. You would have made the same decision if you were in her place. Why live for a couple more years when your child could have a full life?

Reborn also came very close to finding out that you were actually a published author. He now knew that you were writing stories, but not that any of them were successfully published yet…At least you think he doesn't. His smirk made you think otherwise. But he did find out that you visited a nearby orphanage often and made several donations. He told you that the orphanage was actually run by Vongola corp. and that the head actually wanted to adopt all eight kids (it was just a small orphanage), but didn't want to risk or influence their lives with the dangers our business, so he funded the small place instead.

Reborn also revealed that he was armed and able to fight. You paled slightly at that, especially when he pulled out his pistol to prove himself. But you suppose that it was understandable that he needed to be able to defend himself. Humans were dark greedy creatures, always waiting for a moment of weakness, especially in those who held positions of great power. He also introduced you to his little partner, who was named Leon. You had smiled and praised the small creature's adorableness, asking why the man carried a small lizard around with him. Reborn had told you that Leon was a magic chameleon and as such, deserved special treatment. You had just laughed, thinking it was a joke.

xXx

After the little shopping spree, Reborn starts stopping by in the mornings and during closing time as well, to the point where you actually have everything ready for him the moment he walks through the door. You personally deliver his meal and coffee to him just as he sits, rather than asking I-Pin. You still serve sometimes, but not as often, other than to a few of your regulars and Reborn (then again, he was technically a regular now too).

The executive also started accompanying you on a few more of your shopping trips to restock your shop. He even started bringing a few of his co-workers along. You nearly had a heart attack when you found out that each one was a leading head of the powerful Arcobaleno Corporation, but the others didn't seem to mind as much. They all insisted that you just referred to them by their given name and not with the Mister or Miss tacked on.

Never going to happen. Period.

However, it is pleasing to the ego when they complement your sense of décor as well as your cooking. It was nice to know that you could actually cook properly. It had taken you a long time to get to this point after all, and that was all without attending a culinary school.

But the attention from the top seven directors of the Arcobaleno didn't stay secret for long and soon your little shop was swamped with new customers. You were actually forced to hire a few more helping hands, two girls names Kyoko and Haru, and later a young boy named Fuuta.

Somehow, between everything that was going on, you still managed to finish up your books on time and deliver them to your publisher without anyone finding out. But you were worried that it was just a matter of time.

Nevertheless, just like that, the new year was ushered in and set into a steady pace.

xXx

It wasn't until a few months later that something happened.

You were heading home early today since one of the children in the orphanage had a birthday tomorrow and you wanted to bake him something special.

However, on your way back to your apartment, you were ambushed and dragged into an empty alleyway. You kicked and fought, but the numbers and overall strength of the others was against you. You bit the man holding you, hard enough to draw a little blood, but for importantly for him to drop you, kicked the nearest man on the shin and shove the heel of your palm upward, breaking his nose. You then made a run for it, but the last man grabbed you by your hair and threw you into the wall, stunning you for a few seconds too long. The first man got over his pain and slapped you with enough force to knock you onto the ground.

"Listen closely you bitch, you're going to play nicely with us the rest of the way, or we'll just slit your throat." The man pulled out a sickeningly dirty knife and held it's blade against your throat, holding your head up by your hair. "You want to see mommy and daddy again don't you?"

You glare and seethe, trying your very best to hide the fear clawing at your heart. However, your defiance leads to the man stomping your leg and with a nauseatingly loud crack, he broke it. You cry out in pain, tears spilling from your eyes. Your body's reaction to the breaking of your leg, caused you to arch away from the wall and into the knife, where it broke through your skin. It wasn't fatal, but it hurt and added more fuel to your panic. You swore repeatedly, fighting back once again, but failing even worse with your injuries racking up. You were pretty sure you had a concussion from hitting the wall and ground as well.

Suddenly there were three sharp bangs and the men slumped to the floor, dead. Your stomach churns violently at the sight and smell of blood pouring out of them, but then everything catches up to you and you faint.

xXx

You awake several hours later to a headache the size of Canada and open your eyes to see bright white walls accompanied by the smell of bleach. You reach up to press a hand to your head and find that there are bandages going around it. It is then that you notice that something is covering your throat as well. Further inspection leads you to seeing your leg propped up and in a cast, before your gaze finally lands on the man in black seated beside your bed, staring at you.

You smile wryly. "Thank you for saving me."

Reborn's eyes narrowed. "You're awfully weak. I had honestly expected a little more."

You raise an eyebrow to that. "I don't see why. At least I know a little more self-defense than most others, but it's not like I'm possibly able to go against three men and a knife. I'm only human Mr. Reborn."

"Have you even taken a single self-defense class?" The Sun Director continued to interrogate irritably.

You shrug with a little sigh. "With school, work, then moving and everything else, I never seemed to be able to find the time."

"Don't you carry something with you? I thought all girls carried around pepper spray or the like with them."

You make a face at that. "I guess many do, but I seriously doubt that every girl has one. Heck, I don't even know where I last placed mine."

"Well then what about another weapon," Reborn nearly snapped. "Have you ever considered carrying around something with you to help even the odds?"

You roll your eyes. "I could buy a Taser if you like."

"I'm asking you seriously," the raven growled.

"And I'm trying to alleviate some of that," you retorted. You sigh when all you receive is a glare. "I don't really like guns, so no, I have never considered carrying a weapon with me. Normally I don't need it, but I grew complacent in this town and relaxed my guard. My mistake."

Reborn glared for a moment longer before finally relaxing into his chair. "I'm signing you up for a few classes once you're better."

"Whaaaat~!" You whine. "I don't want to, nor do I have time!"

Reborn snorted lightly. "Too bad. You should have thought about that before you let yourself get caught by such a weak group."

"Well excuse me for not having the strength of a gorilla slash mama bear hybrid, capable of fighting three thugs at once," you grumble, crossing your arms in a pout.

Reborn finally cracks a smirk and leans into his chair. "What were you out of your café so early anyway?"

You uncurl and push yourself up into a more comfortable sitting position. "I closed up early because one of the children in the orphanage has a birthday tomorrow and I wanted to prepare something special."

"So you're willing to celebrate some brat's birthday, but not mine? I take offense," the man said with mock hurt.

You cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Is your birthday tomorrow too?"

At this Reborn abruptly started laughing.

You could only blink in shock. Was it something you said? But you kind of wish you had a video camera to record this. You get the feeling that the man in black wasn't really the type to laugh very often. You could have probably sold the tape to Miss Mammon for a small fortune.

Reborn calms down rather quickly and finally answers your questioning and confused gaze. "I apologize. I forget that you are actually one of the rare few in the world who didn't know about me. Most people know at a glance."

You blush. You're actually slightly ashamed that you didn't know. It's not like you didn't read the news, you didn't like being ignorant of the world around you, but for some reason you don't remember reading anything about the Arcobaleno Corporation. "I just never really cared to read into the lives of celebrities and big business leaders…" You mumble.

Reborn smirked. "It's fine. It's why I found your company tolerable. My birthday is actually today."

"Ah!" You jump a little and quickly turn back to face the man. "Why didn't you tell me before! I would have baked you something!"

Reborn shrugged. "I could honestly care less. My birthday never really mattered that much to me, other than the becoming a year older part."

You shook your head vigorously, though regretting the action when a wave of dizziness hits you. "The moment the doctor releases me from the hospital, you have to come with me back to my apartment so that I can bake you something! I'll even cook dinner for you as an apology."

The raven raised an eyebrow to that. "There's no need, I was just teasing you."

You shook your head with a stubborn pout. "After everything you've done for me, I will not rest easy until I can at least do this much!"

The male sighed. "You're so strange. What if I told you that I have work that I need to attend to."

"Work on it over at my place," you retort easily. "I have a perfectly good computer that you can use while I'm cooking."

"And if I have meetings that I need to attend?"

"Cancel them. They should more than understand since it's your birthday."

"And how do you suppose you'll be able to move around enough to cook with a broken leg?"

You laugh sheepishly and rub the back of your head. "Actually…this isn't my first broken lower half wound. I've had a broken ankle before too…"

Reborn cocked an eyebrow in question.

You laughed nervously and looked away, a blush spreading across your face. "I may or may not have slipped on a curb some time ago…"

The man sighed again with a shake of his head. "What a klutz."

Your blush deepens in color, but you can't deny his statement. "I didn't mean to fall, the road just looked like it needed a hug."

Reborn rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me. You're not short, just vertically challenged."

You're pretty sure your whole head was red now. That was exactly what you would have said when someone called you small.

Reborn smirked again. Point for him.

"A-anyways," you stutter in an attempt to redirect the subject, "will you come over or not?"

"Very well. Gather your things, I'm not helping you carry anything." Reborn stood up and brushed nonexistent dust from his suit. "The doctor said you could leave after you woke up, so get moving or I'll make you walk back to your lodging."

You quickly gather your belongings and hobble after the man on the crutches the hospital had provided.

xXx

That night you made the meal that the man in black had requested and afterwards you served him a dark chocolate cake with bitter-sweet chocolate frosting made with 95% dark chocolate, with lots of espresso used as a nice back flavor, that you had baked as carefully as you could. You were also able to avoid singing him the blasted birthday song (since your voice was so bad in your opinion, you were sure that it could splinter wood). Reborn had even ruffled your hair slightly on his way out, to your complete embarrassment and pleasure.

Though, during the whole cooking process he didn't do anything but lounge around your bar counter and watch you hobble around your kitchen, flicking nuts (from a little bowl you had set out earlier that day) every now and then. He seemed to take pleasure in your frustration and the reactions you had after every nut hit you with painful precision. The man in black also started calling you by that annoying and baseless nickname you mother gave you years ago. You could see no reason as to why you were being compared to a young cat of all things.

xXx

The next morning, Reborn decided that he was feeling find enough to give you a ride to the orphanage.

"Big Sister! Big Sister!"

You smile and hug the small child, catching him when he jumps up to meet you. A few others follow suit as well.

"EXTREME group hug!" A white haired child shouted, running out of the orphanage.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" You shout in quick succession, waving a hand desperately to stop the boy. But he doesn't take a hint and tackles your little group, sending you to the ground under a pile of small bodies. You grimace and hiss, tears prickling at the corner of your eyes. "Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain."

"It's your fault for not moving out of the way," Reborn pointed out.

"I would usually retort with something along the lines of 'you try standing on one leg with a mass of children clinging onto you and avoid a running ton of bricks that would knock you over when on two legs'. However, I get the feeling that you would actually still be able to maintain an upright position, so I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that in favor of getting back up."

"I'm sorry big sister!" The first child cried out, helping you up.

"Ahaha! We were just really excited to see you again!" One of the raven haired children with a distinct Asian heritage said as his apology.

"Baseball idiot! You should have thought things through more!" A silver haired child yelled angrily.

"Now, now," the Asian child said complacently with cheerful smile. "And didn't you tackle nee-san as well?"

"That's right octopus head!"

The silver haired child spluttered in embarrassment and anger, red splashing across his features.

"Kufufu, it's about time you arrived," a child with indigo hair shaped like a pineapple appeared out of nowhere. You were honestly so used to him just popping out at you that you didn't even flinch anymore.

"H-Hello big sister," a small girl next to the indigo haired child, with the same hairstyle, said shyly.

"You're late herbivore, prepare to be bitten to death."

"Eeek! Wait Kyoya!" You waved your hands frantically at the fast approaching child of doom. "If you hit me I'll have to go back to the hospital!"

The child abruptly froze mid swing and you sagged in relief. You've never considered yourself weak enough to fight children, but this kid packed a wallop. You've seen him take down a group of thugs three times his size before and come out unscathed, and the fights he and the male pineapple child got into…oh _god_, the fights they got into. It gave you a headache just thinking about it.

"Big Sister, what happened to you?" The first child asked worriedly.

"I was attacked by a bear!" You told them brightly.

Reborn raised a hand and threatened to slap you hear with a menacing glint in his eyes.

"Alright! Alright! I was ambushed by some thugs," you amended. "Sheesh, what a kill joy. Let me have some fun with them and not worry them so much."

"Oh? Haha! And where are these guys now?" The Asian boy asked with a scary steely glint in his slightly narrowed eyes.

"Kufufu, I would also like to know," the pineapple boy added.

"Aaaa…." You shivered a little. For little kids, these guys sure were scary sometimes.

"Yes! I would EXTREMELY like to teach them lesson!" The white haired child yelled.

Screw physical force, this kid was going to give you another concussion with a wall of sound.

"You shall be forgiven for your tardiness this time. However, those herbivores disturbed the peace. Tell me where they are. I shall bit them to death." The scarier raven of the bunch held up a pair of metal tonfas to emphasize his point.

You laughed nervously. "Th-there's no need kids. Let's just celebrate Tsuna's birthday nicely and blood free, ne? Besides, Mr. Reborn here already took care of them, though I have no idea what he did to them." This last part was muttered under her breathe, as it was more of a comment for herself than for the others.

"They're dead," the suited man said bluntly.

You slap his shoulder. "Don't go around telling little kids things like that so easily!"

Reborn responded with a painful flick to your forehead. "Damage is done and you shouldn't shield them from everything that's going on around them."

"I'm not shielding them, I'm trying to prevent them from getting new ideas," you say dreadfully with a shudder.

"Oya? You already took care of them?" A mischievous glint flashed through the indigo haired boy's eyes.

Oh no.

The scariest raven smirked. "Wow~. You must be strong. Fight me herbivore."

Oh dear god no. This was _not_ going to end well.

You quickly snatch the pineapple haired boy's trident (which had appeared out of nowhere) and the scariest child's tonfas away. "No more fighting. I came here to celebrate Tsuna's birthday and if any of you make any move to do anything else violent today, then I'll be taking _everyone's_ little toys (that look eerily similar to the real thing) away and not return them for a full week."

"They're not toys woman!" The silver haired child yelled.

You completely ignore this as you stand up and turn back to your companion. "Everyone, this is Mr. Reborn. Mr. Reborn, this is Takeshi, Hayato, Ryohei, Mukuro, his little sister figure and my darling little Chrome, and Kyoya." You gesture to each child respectively, before reaching down and picking up the first child who greeted you, though with a little difficulty considering your condition. "And this guy is my cuddly little Tsuna Bear!"

Reborn slowly raised an eyebrow. "Tuna Bear?"

"No, no, no! Tsuna Bear! Why have some old teddy bear, when I can cuddle a little Tsuna Bear!" You hug the giggling child, careful not to squeeze him too hard despite your desire to hug the stuffing out of him.

Reborn shook his head a little. "How old are you?"

"I'm seven!" Tsuna proclaimed excitedly.

The man in black deadpanned. "He's a shrimp."

"No he's not. He's just the right size," you defended. "Besides, as he gets older, he'll hit a big growth spurt and then I bet he'll be almost as tall as you." You smile fondly and set the child on the ground so that you can start hobbling toward the house.

"Big Sister, I'm seven now, so in six more months you're going to adopt me right?" The child reminded you expectantly.

You nod. "That's right. I remember, don't worry."

You notice the slight questioning look in your oldest companion's eyes and explain that you had promised to adopt the brunette and all of his closest friends if he wasn't adopted by a good family at least two years after you initially met him. You had wanted him to be adopted by a full family, where he could have both a mother and a father, but you didn't want him to spend his whole life without one either. You hadn't adopted him right away, like you had wanted, because you were just starting off and wasn't completely sure that you could support that many others quite yet.

"Why not adopt him now then, if you're so sure," Reborn asked with a slightly raised brow. You notice that it never goes very high like most others, including yourself, and it was only the slightest amount to where it could barely be noticeable.

You shake your head with a small smile. "If you are going to make a promise with a criteria like time, then you should always follow through. Besides, even if I can support them, I still hope for a proper family for all of them."

The rest of the conversation was lost to the kids spotting the box of cake as well as the colorfully wrapped presents and squealing in delight as they tried to make you and the new Mister enter the house.

xXx

Before you knew it, it had already been a whole year since you had first met the man in black. Despite his dark demeanor, he was truly very kind. You sincerely enjoyed his presence. You actually considered him family in a way. He wasn't a brotherly figure like Ryan, nor a father figure (which would be extremely odd seeing as you were only a few years younger than him), but you weren't really sure how to classify him. For now, you would consider Mr. Reborn another tremendously close friend.

Just thinking about him made you smile, your heart give a squeeze, and sent your stomach a flutter.

Your father and little sister were coming over to visit in a couple of weeks. You could barely wait to have them meet your new companion.


	2. Which Task of Seven Shall You Take?

**No Lily, coming back to life as a zombie does not count as making it through your surgery. As to your other question, yes this is a partial birthday fic to Reborn as well I suppose.**

**To my other readers, I'd like to say a big wonderful thank you to; KagamineRin81, tazdevil, and anna the viking XD for reviewing! ****Please remember that this story is categorized as a suspense, so it will have some horror scenes as well. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_No legs have I to dance; No lungs have I to breath; No life have I to live or die; and yet I do all three. What am I?_

_Fire_

* * *

Chapter 1: Which Task of Seven Shall You Take?

"You don't have to do this Reborn. I'll be fine, really."

The raven narrowed his eyes at you. "Get in."

You puffed out your cheeks in a pout and crossed your arms. Really, now. He was treating you like a child. It wasn't really _that_ bad. You just threw a small tantrum. The doctor just exaggerated. All you needed was a few extra hours of sleep and you would be as good as new. "I don't want to."

Black eyes narrowed further and sent a shiver of fear down your spine. "If I have to repeat myself…"

"Getting in." And with that you climbed into the sleek black car and buckled yourself in obediently. Reborn wouldn't kill you, but that didn't mean who would find some other (more painful) way to get what he wanted.

You pull your legs up and hug your knees, watching the landscape spread out as the buildings of the city faded and gave way to the open country.

You were fine, really. You were sure if you repeated that to yourself often enough, then maybe it would come true. Your physical injuries were just about healed, so you can't really see why Reborn was fretting so much, because you were perfectly fine.

You were just…fine…

xXx

You come out of your stupor once the car has finally come to a halt. You don't seem to be able to sleep anymore, too many visions of…well, you just couldn't sleep anymore, not without strong sedatives at least. It was more of the state between daydreaming and your usual consciousness, like a daze.

You force your limbs to move, stretching out the stiffness that had accumulated from several hours of not moving. You note the freshness of the forest as well as the 'cabin' you and the other would be occupying for the next couple of weeks. You feel a shiver run down your spine as you take in every detail possible of the 'small' structure.

Figures Reborn would pick an enormous haunted looking cabin meant for filming horror movies. You can't even bring yourself to sigh, it was so unexpectedly expected.

"Since you move at a snail's pace now, you can just start unpacking. I'll go into town to get the food and anything else we'll need." Reborn stalked off before you could argue that you didn't move as slowly as he implied, you just got distracted a lot more. Your actions themselves were exactly the same.

You look around for Reborn's and your bag, but are surprised to see that the man had already opened the door and carried everything into your separate bedrooms. You hadn't even noticed that, that much time had passed between his door closing and the man leaving.

Your gaze trails over the interior dully. You suppose it was cozy looking, but who were you to say. The cobwebs in the corner were creepy as hell, but at least there wasn't a layer of dust on everything. You sigh through your nose a little and continue further inside after taking off your shoes, your hand trailing on the walls every so often as if to keep you steady.

Reborn had actually picked a decent room for you on the second floor, looking out toward the lake situated behind the house. Why was nearly every cabin next to a lake? That didn't seem very safe to you. Hadn't these people ever read any horror stories? Cabins by a lake are always where some pathetic screaming victim meets their end in some horribly gruesome way.

You sit down on the bed next to your suitcase and pull your knees close once more, crossing your ankles and reaching out to play with the zipper of the luggage without opening it. You still had some time before Reborn came back anyways and as long as you finished before then, he would never notice and wouldn't nag you.

You didn't know why he bothered honestly. He was a really big business executive and you were just some café owner down the street. The fact that someone like him was taking off an entire month to help some no one instead of spending time on some sunny island with a bunch of beautiful woman was unheard of. Actually, you would have preferred if he did, at least then you wouldn't feel like you were burdening him with your problems. Your family was your own to mourn after all. All the well-wishers could just disappear, it's not like they actually care. You were just the new gossip story that everyone can discuss 'behind your back'. You didn't need their pity. You didn't' need anyone. You were perfectly fine…

You really shouldn't be here right now. Sure, you trusted I-Pin to manage everything, and you were sure that Haru, Kyoko, and Fuuta would be okay. All three girls were great cooks too, so you didn't have to worry about the quality going down. But you were the owner and that café was your responsibility, you shouldn't be slacking off so casually.

And what about your stories? You still hadn't re-printed your latest manuscript for you editor. You couldn't pretend to be on hiatus for too long, you had your fans to think of. You didn't want to keep them waiting for too long. You were sure if you sat down in front of the computer long enough, then all your ideas were sure to come back. You just needed to concentrate. You didn't need all these extra distractions.

You couldn't give up. Father and sister will-… Father and little sis would have been disappointed in you…

There was also little Tsuna and the other children in the orphanage. Because of all this trouble, you were three months overdue with following through with your promise to Tsunayoshi. You had to adopt all of them as you promised…You were sure that you would be able to take care of them properly still. You weren't _that_ depressed. You just forgot what you were doing every so often. You should at least check up on them.

You pull out your phone and tap in one of the few numbers in the world that you knew by heart. You try to smile so that you could sound cheerful when the head of the orphanage picked up the phone. You set the phone on speaker before placing it on the bed in front of you, watching the speaker in the picture send out signals and signing that someone had picked up on the other end.

"_Hello deary, how are you doing_?" The head asked kindly, recognizing your number right away it seems. Well, you had called about a hundred times since you first found the place.

You don't answer, just stare at the phone, unable to find your voice once again.

"_I suppose you're calling to check up on everyone," _the woman continues easily. She knew you almost as much as your mother before she died, even when she couldn't see you. _"Tsuna is very understanding, but he and the others do wish they could visit you again. They all really want to cheer you up, especially after their visit to the hospital. They're as rambunctious as ever, and are all healthy. Kyoya and Mukuro got into a fight this morning, but Chrome and Tsuna were able to stop them before anyone got seriously injured. Actually, a couple came in this morning and tried to adopt little Tsuna and Chrome, but both of them refused. They were quite adamant about staying until you got back. They all love you very much. I hope you're taking care of your health. I-_"

"_Is that big sister_?" A voice you recognize as Tsuna calls out, loud enough to be heard on your end. "_I want to talk to her! Can I talk to her? Please! Please!_ Please!"

"_Oh? Haha! Is that nee-san? Can I talk to her as well_?" There was Takeshi.

"_Oi! Woman! Give secondo the phone! We want to speak to that other woman_!" Gokudera, of course.

"_EXTREME CALL FROM BIG SISTER_!" It was a good thing you had the phone so far away from your ear, or Ryohei would have surely burst your eardrum.

"_Lambo-san wants to talk to big sister so that she can finally give Lambo-san more candy_!" Like you would expect anything less from the child.

"Kufufufu…" The rest of Mukuro's words came out jumbled. You only made out his laugh because it was just _that_ unique.

You were sure that Chrome and Kyoya were there too, but they were too quiet to hear.

They were all the same…nothing had changed.

So why couldn't you smile and be the same way?

"_Big sister? Is that you_?" Tsuna's voice came out more vibrant and louder, meaning he had the phone.

You end the call abruptly and bury your head into your knees as you hug them closer, facing away from the cellular device.

Even when it felt like the world was supposed to freeze, life continued on without you. That was just the fact of living. Everything and everyone dies someday. It was a fact, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

* * *

"_You sure you two want to walk? I do have a car you know," you pressure lightly to make sure that you father and little sister were absolutely sure about walking. "I think it would be a lot easier if we drove to meet Mr. Reborn at the park, head over to that restaurant for lunch, and then over to the orphanage to pick up Tsuna and the others to take them home with us."_

_Ryan rolls his eyes. "Your car can't possibly seat all 13 of us, Sunny."_

_Your sister nods in agreement. "That's right sis! Besides, it's not that far."_

"_I suppose…" You hesitated._

_You father places a hand on your shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."_

* * *

_Everything will be all right. Everything will be all right. Everything will be all right…_

Those words echo through your ears. Bouncing off the walls of your head, taunting you, throwing everything back in your face.

You look up. What were you doing in this room again? Was it important? But you would remember if that was the case, right? So it didn't matter.

You slide out of the bed slowly and drag your feet toward the kitchen. You needed a drink of water. You would have liked some tea, but the doctor forbid you from using fire unless under supervision. He said you were too easily distracted as you were.

You pull the partially full cup up to take a sip, but your grip on the handle isn't strong enough and it falls to the floor, cracking in two and spilling its contents everywhere. You sigh and crouch down, picking up the larger pieces. However, you weren't paying close enough attention and slit your palm and a couple of fingers.

You stop what you are doing and stare, watching as the cut starts to turn into a crimson line, building up into a small drop that made its way down your hand slowly as soon as it had enough weight to carry itself away.

Before a single bead could fall, a wet cloth descends and wipes away the ruby trail. You blink slowly and look up to see Reborn with a blank face. He bandages your hand and gently guides you to the table, easing you into a chair as if you were as fragile as glass.

"I'll cook tonight."

xXx

You blink rapidly and look around.

This afternoon, Reborn had gone off into the forest to collect some firewood. Apparently, that was the one thing that the villagers didn't supply. He had told you to sit out in the sun and wait for him to return. You don't honestly remember the rest of the afternoon, but when you finally snapped out of your daze, you had realized that the sun was now setting and Reborn still hadn't returned.

You were scared. Where was Reborn? He promised he would be right back, that's the only reason you let him go.

You ran back inside, locking the door behind you like Reborn had told you too, and ran to the phone to call the police. You start talking the moment someone picked up the other line, trying to get them to understand the urgency of the situation and come help you search for the other right away. When the person was finally able to catch you during a break in your ranting, he ordered you to take a number of deep breaths and calm down until you were able to explain in a more audible fashion.

"I apologize ma'am, but we aren't able to do anything until at least 24 hours have passed."

"Mr. Reborn promised he would come back before dark," you insist.

"I understand, but a missing persons report cannot be filled out 'til tomorrow afternoon. He's probably just lost. The woods can become very confusing and complex, especially to tourists."

"Mr. Reborn wouldn't do that. He wouldn't get lost." Mr. Reborn was above such an action.

The man on the other side sighed in exasperation. "If he hasn't returned by nightfall, then take out a flashlight and go to the highest room. Turn it on and off like a lighthouse. If he's lost, then that should lead him home. If he still hasn't returned tomorrow, then you can come in or call again and we can begin a search."

You didn't answer, you were shaking too badly. You were so scared. You didn't want to lose anyone else, you would surely lose it completely this time. Reborn was the only thing holding you together.

"How about you call in the morning around seven if he hasn't come back?" The man offered, he must have been able to sense your anxiety through your silence. "And ma'am? Please be sure to secure all of your windows and doors. You should also make sure that every window is covered."

You swallow thickly. Locking everything meant there was something dangerous out there, outside with Reborn. "I-, uh, yes…I will. Thank you."

"Goodnight ma'am."

"Goodnight."

xXx

For the first time since your family's final visit, you were actually able to concentrate for more than a few minutes or seconds. You lock all the doors and windows, also pulling the drapes so that there wasn't even a bit of the outside peeking through.

You then head back up to the second floor with the biggest flashlight you could find. You choose the room facing the forest where Reborn had entered that morning. At first, you're unsure what to do, seeing as you had to leave the window covers open if you wanted the flashlight to be visible. But then you notice a small door next to the window and investigate, finding there was a hole just big enough for a flashlight head to point out.

Had people really gotten lost that often?

You hooked up your flashlight to the harness and pulled up a chair, beginning you long night alone.

On and off. On and off. Again and again.

You don't know how long you sat there, but eventually your eyelids started to droop.

No!

You couldn't fall asleep. What if you missed Reborn because you slacked off! Now of all times, you couldn't allow yourself to fade.

On and off. On and off.

But after days of minimal hours of rest, your body was going to collapse. You had reached your limit to where you didn't even need sedatives to fall unconscious. Even though you actually needed to this time, you couldn't seem to keep your head up anymore. And then everything faded to darkness.

xXx

You wake with a start, sitting up and looking around frantically while fighting off the wave of dizziness that came with abrupt movement. Your heart was racing for some reason, despite the fact that you were actually able to sleep without any nightmares for the past few hours you were unconscious. But you were sure that you heard a creak, and not just any creak (you weren't so paranoid that you were suspicious of every moan and groan an old _wood_ house would inevitably make), but a living being adding pressure to the squeaky wood panel six steps down the hall outside the room you were in, creak.

You feel around for the most lethal thing you could find that you could use to defend yourself. At the moment, while you would have loved to pull a baseball bat or a gun out, it seemed that you were going to have to make due with a lamp. You tiptoe toward the door, slowly pulling it open and peering into the darkness.

Wait, hadn't you left a bunch of lights on?

You heart feels like it just jumped to your throat, when you realized that you had in fact left at least the hall lighting on. All the natural light was blocked out thanks to the curtains. It was so dark, you couldn't even see your own hand when you waved it in front of your face.

You force yourself to take deeper breaths than the shallow ones you were steadily fading into, and step out into the hallway completely.

That's when all hell breaks loose.

A mass of tentacles (at least that's what their shadowy form looked like) jumped out at you from the far end of the hall and gave chase. You scream and make a run for it, using the lamp to beat back the slithery, slimy appendages that started to wrap around you. But one catches you around your ankle and you trip. You force your weight to the side and tumble down the stairs, allowing gravity to help you escape. It hurt like hell, but at least now you had a head start.

As you run past the kitchen, grabbing a couple knives and stuffing one with a cover down the boots you had thrown on, you can see that it was army of tentacles and vines that had attacked you and they were originating from the cellar. That's right, you had forgotten to lock both cellar doors, that's how they got in!

But you didn't have time to think about that. You hack an attacking vine and run over to the front door, struggling with the lock a bit due to panic before finally forcing it open. You kick it shut as you run past, clipping a few tentacles and impeding their chase.

However, there's no reprieve. Outside the cabin looked like a fairytale book had thrown up all its worst villains right into the forest, and now they were all after your blood.

You bite back a scream and continue running. You had to think straight, your life depended on it. Reborn had forced you to sit through several sessions of different survival tactics, now was the time to use them.

* * *

"_Don't stick to the open."_

"_Whaaat~! But then I'll get lost!" You protested._

_Reborn whacked the backside of your head. "Don't run on the main path or on one that's been frequently traversed if you're being chased, but also keep that path in sight."_

_You scrunch up your face in confusion. "Couldn't the person chasing me just run the main path and catch up or overtake me then?"_

_Reborn shook his head. "Not if they're chasing you specifically. They like the thrill of the hunt, so they want to track you down."_

_You shivered. "Creepy."_

"_When running away, you should also run in a zigzag pattern. It makes it more difficult to trace you since they have to take more time to analyze what path you took. It's also more difficult to take aim if they have a weapon. Don't make it ridiculous and predictable, just don't run completely straight. If there's a river, cross it at least once, they'll lose your trail for a bit. If you can, then try to run in it for a while. Not too long, or they'll catch you, but just enough to confuse your tracks even more."_

"_And if they still manage to catch me?"_

"_Fight."_

* * *

You weave through the trees, following Reborn's advice to the best of your capability. For the most part, it seemed to be working. The other fairytale creeps had long since slowed down until it was just the numerous variations of the 'big bad wolf', and you had lost them back at the stream.

The two knives you had were left behind when you fended off one of the monsters; one left in a murderous clown, the other inside of a werewolf like monster. You were tired and slowly freezing to death thanks to your wet clothes from the stream. However, you couldn't stop now. You didn't need intuition to know that whoever was after you would catch up in an instant if you stopped for even a moment. That didn't take away the fact that you had no idea where to run to, but you would be damned if you gave up for that sort of reason.

'_The bridge!_'

You almost trip. Who said that?

'_If you can make it across the bridge to the village, they will be unable to give chase any longer._'

After a quick debate with yourself, you decide to follow the suspicious mind-invading, voice over the scary, vicious, man-eating monsters behind you. Besides, if the voice was trap, well… you were screwed either way weren't you?

The mist starts to thicken, making it more and more difficult to see through the area. But you still tried to run along the trees and not on the main road. You jump back into the clearing at the end, expecting to see a bridge, but end up skidding to a halt next to the cliff instead. You look around and notice the bridge a distance away.

How the hell did it get all the way over there! You were sure you had kept the clearing within you sights at all time.

'_That's just an illusion. The bridge is still in front of you._'

You shook your head. Your sight said otherwise, but you tentatively reach out your foot and try to feel for the surface. Yet, your foot only met air. You pull it back quickly.

'_You are under an illusion right now. Just close your eyes and continue forward. You must go quickly! You have to be completely across the bridge or they'll catch you, and then you and your friend shall be doomed!_'

Friend? Did they mean Reborn?

'_Yes! Now you must hurry!_'

You take a deep breath, gathering your courage, and take a step of faith. When you don't take a plunge, you let out a relieved breath and nearly open your eyes. But the voice warns against it and you continue forward.

'_You are almost there! But you must hurry! He's nearly here!_'

You nod curtly and press forward.

'_Look out!_'

A tentacle whips out of nowhere and curls around your waist, heaving you backwards. You instinctively reach out and manage to grab part of the railing, your eyes snapping open. Even before you could start recognizing that you were floating in between the two cliff sides, you start to plummet. But you don't fall far before the tentacle around your waist starts to heave you back to the other side and is joined by others. You scream and fight, even as vines and blue slithering appendages curled painfully around your wrists and ankles.

"Nufufufu. It seems I've finally managed to catch the frightened little rabbit." The vines and snake like limbs forced you to turn around and face the speaker, a man with rich dark blue hair pulled into a ponytail with tufts poking up on the top back. "We should get going, no? Else, we garnish the wrath of the king. Nufufufufu."

You open your mouth to scream and protest, but tentacles wrap around your mouth, effectively cutting you off.

"No more of that now. We really must be off," the man tantalizes. He throws you over his should and troops back the way you came, this time entering deeper into the forest.

You can't tell how long he walked for, it felt both long and short, but eventually a strange doorway built into the side of a mountain came into sight. That was strange though. You don't remember seeing a mountain anywhere nearby or at any time during the car ride, so how did it get there?

The doorway itself was enormous, you wanted to estimate about 50 yards tall and wide. It was a regal sort of red with black designs tracing around and over it. From a farther distance it looked like it could be vines, but as you neared, you realized it was more like thorns. Though, your more artistic side agreed that it was tastefully done, not too much nor too little. There were golden hoop shaped handles situated in the center, which you figured were for decoration purpose because they were so high up and obviously too heavy for a single person to lift.

The man suddenly freed you and set you on the ground, though he grabbed your upper arm to keep you from running away. He chuckled his eerie little laugh again. "Can't have you running away again, now can we?"

You can't even answer the man from the amount of fear coursing through you. But he seems to realize this and starts dragging you along with once again. Before long, you find yourself dragged into a great hall. It was filled to the brim with what you could only describe as every fairy tale and mythical story come to life.

But the mix wasn't what most would expect it to be. There were just as many saintly looking vampires and red-eyed fairies in the mix as much as the usual depiction of magical beings. Normal animals proved to be something more when they stood up on their hind legs and whispered something to a companion. Nymphs and dryads alike whispered and giggled, staring at you and speaking to others. Mermaids popped out of pools situated around the area to get a better look, some communicating through screeches and others speaking normally. What you thought was a normal human at first glance, proved you wrong when they dissolved into a mass of snakes, frogs, smoke, or even smaller people the size of your thumbs.

Now one of the questions that remained was; are they good or bad?

You obviously couldn't just judge them by how they looked, besides that was just bad etiquette to judge a book by its cover.

In addition, why were they giving you such…pitying looks?

You didn't have time to contemplate this question, as you yanked forward in front of a raised platform where seven chairs stood. Six of the chairs were black in color and adorned with a different colored gem, but none could compare to the throne in the middle. It was pale golden with dark orange padding and decorated with orange jewels. To the right was the first black chair, bearing red paddings in jewels. Next to that was another black chair garnished with light blue and next to that, situated a little farther away was the final black chair for that side, decorated with purple. To the left were black chairs decorated with indigo, next yellow, and lastly a bright forest green.

Curiously, each chair except the throne in the middle had a woman seated on one of the arms. All of them were on the arm furthest from the chair in the middle. Each female had a dull glazed look in their eyes, like they weren't really there. They all seemed so…lifeless.

The terrifying 'melon-headed' kidnapper finally released you and stepped up to the indigo chair. But you were so scared, you couldn't even move. Strangely enough, the man reached up and placed a surprisingly gentle hand on the side of the blonde woman's face, whispering something to her. But the young woman didn't respond, emphasizing the foreboding doll like state.

Wait! She is moving. Slowly…_slowly_… Uh oh. She's looking at you. Don't freak out. _Don't _freak out… Oh my gosh, your heart couldn't go any faster. It seemed like she was trying to make her mouth move so that she could say something, but she didn't have any more strength after raising her head.

'_Child._'

Oh? The voice was back, though it seemed weaker….Wait…Was the blond woman where the voice was originating from?

'_Yes. I can't say much right now, or the King will notice. Just do your best to stay calm and just do what he says for right now._'

What did he want from you exactly?

'_I can't say for now. But for the sake of your friend, you must do as your told. The king will make a deal with you. If you can outwit him, then you might be able to save both yourself and your friend. But be wary. The king is as old as time and has long since learned how to twist more than just words to his benefit. You must play his game and win, or you will forever perish._"

How could you possibly win against someone like that? This was an impossible task.

'_Don't give up. I know you can do it!_'

Why? Why you! What were they after that you were supposed to have?

'_A sacrifice_.' The blond woman's head sank back down to her last position, cutting off contact.

You were **scared**. You could cry you were so frightened. But for Reborn, you would stay strong…You had to.

Slowly, five surprisingly human like others trooped into the room and took their respective seat. Finally, only the golden chair in the middle remained empty.

Clack! Clack!

Your eyes darted around to look for who had slammed wood against tile, but found no one.

"His Majesty, Giotto del Vongola, King of the Demons!"

It was official. You had evidently been swallowed up by a horror story, and now you were doomed for all eternity.

You mentally shook your head to snap you out of your sudden sarcastic doom and gloom streak. Now wasn't the time for such things, nor was your depression. Reborn was counting on you.

A male with golden blond hair and sunset eyes strolled out from two giant wooden doors off to the side, gazing out at his subjects for his eyes landed on you, staying there even as he seated himself. It was even more unnerving than Reborn's.

You had to admit, if you weren't scared out of your wits, then you may have blushed from how attractive he was. But as it was, you were still trying to remember how to breathe as well as try to make yourself stop shaking from the amount of fear coursing through you.

"Here is the other who accompanied the other human," the kidnapper said to the golden haired man.

Other human? Did they mean Reborn?

"Nufufu, I must say that she was a difficult one. She almost made it completely across the bridge before I caught her." The blue haired man sent you a slyly intrigued smile, his comment gaining you more interest from the others as well.

You quelled under their gazes, trying very hard not to cry or collapse. You were confused with the man's statement and so, _so_ scared.

"That _is_ interesting, isn't it?" The man in the light blue adorned chair agreed. He wore very outdated Japanese clothing and seemed one of the kinder beings of the seven. "I don't think any of the others were even able to make it out of the house."

If you didn't think it was possible before, then you were just proven wrong; you're heart had probably fallen out the other side of the world now. Others? How long had this been going exactly? And what for?

"If she is so great, then we should test her worth!" A green faced elf looking woman screeched. She didn't wait for a response before diving toward you, changing form into a giant lizard with jagged teeth.

You scream and duck, falling onto your rear and just missing the woman by a hairs breath. But she didn't halt her attack and dove again. You remember that you had stuffed a knife in your boot and pull it out, barely managing to pull off the cover before swinging, too scared to look where you were slashing.

There was an ear splitting shriek and you looked up to see the lizard, now turned back into a green woman, backing away and covering her face as moss colored blood poured out of her head. Blood that hit the floor hissed and sizzled, rotting away the stone. You look at the knife and notice that it was dissolving as well and throw it away from you before it could reach your hands. The attacker looks up through one hate filled eye and starts charging at you again, even as you slide yourself further away, but then is suddenly enveloped in bright crimson flames and turns to ash.

You scream again and cover your mouth in shock, tears freely falling now. Someone had just been killed right in front of you, and you were probably next.

You shakily turn your gaze back to the raised platform to see the man that had been seated in the red decorated chair, was standing and holding an intricate crimson bow. He was scowling and it almost seemed like his ruby hair was on fire as well. "Make another idiotic move like that again, you'll all be punished. Am I clear."

His last statement was a command, nothing about it was a question and the affirmative responses ushering around the room confirmed that. You flinch when his gaze lands back on you, but you notice that his crimson eyes softens a little, though that may just be your imagination. "Your name human?"

Your name? That seemed a bad idea. Something was telling you that you should not, under any circumstances, give them your real name. "S-s-s-su-u-un-n-ny."

"Sunny?" The man in the yellow colored chair smiled a little. "What a wonderful name."

Your only response was to curl a little further into yourself.

Suddenly, the side doors creak open again and eight little figures run in.

You gasp. "Tsunayoshi! No!"

"Papa!" The brunet smiles brightly and hugs the golden haired king.

But you weren't paying attention by then. Papa? As in…father?

Oh god. Oh my god. Everything seemed to click in place.

You stare in horror as all the children in the orphanage went up to their respective parents. Now that they were together, you could see the resemblance. But more than that, you realized what this all meant.

Tsuna pulled away from his father and looked around to smile brightly at you. He then turned back to his father while pointing at you. "She's the one I told you about papa! Isn't she great?"

The blond man smiled.

The small boy detached himself from the man and came running over, coming to a stop in front of you. "Isn't this great big sister? Now we can be a family! Just like you wanted! You can be happy again!"

You were just being used. Now it made sense; all those families that ended up leaving without ever adopting; all those other people who came to help out at the orphanage turned away. These kids had been scouting out for a suitable candidate for whatever it is they were after.

"Sun-sun?" Tsuna asks, his cheerfulness dimming. He reached out to touch you, but you scoot away backwards with a quick shuddering gasp. The little boy appeared hurt by your display, but understanding as well. So he trooped back up by his father to let your shock subside.

You felt sick. If this situation was because you had been the unlucky candidate, then if Reborn was here…It was all your fault. It was _your_ fault that Reborn was here and may possibly die, if he wasn't already.

"I thank you on the behalf of the others for taking care of our little ones," the man in the Japanese cloths said softly with a small grateful smile. "They are very important to us, and this was the first time that we allowed them to choose."

You were right…You were going to be sick at this rate.

But you had to ask. Reborn, you had to remember that you needed to stay strong for Reborn. You gather the remaining courage within you and force yourself to speak before it has a chance to fade away permanently. "Wh-wh-why di-di-did you b-b-bring m-me here?" You look at everyone but the king and the beige haired man in the purple chair.

The blue haired man chuckled eerily again. "You are here because our king commands it." He gestured to the blond man, but you still refused to look.

"Wh-why? And wh-what make you th-think that I sh-should believe that ah-all of you are d-demons any-anyways?" You demand, trying to sound more confident than you actually felt. You don't think it worked.

"Oya, it really must not have been that bad. Then again, I've used much worse on other mortals," the indigo haired man retorted. "But we can prove the truth of our words. After all would humans be capable of this?"

The beige haired man remained as silent as his king, merely nodding toward the giant wooden doors of doom.

To your horror, out was pulled Reborn encased in ice. The sight alone was enough to bring your fears to real life and make your heart stop.

"No!" You voice cracked and you ran forward. "Reborn! _Reborn_! No! _No_!"

You slammed your fists against the ice, desperately trying to break it open, to save your last dear friend. You cry out his name repeatedly, hoping that somehow he could hear you and would respond. But the ice didn't budge and only resulted with your hands becoming bloody and battered. You paused, panting heavily as you stared at the man in black. You tightened your fist, turning the skin left visibly white.

No.

You weren't going to lose him too. You cried out in pain as your hands were engulfed in a bright orange flame. You were about to panic and try to put it out, but then you noticed that (unlike the torches on the wall) the flames on your hands were melting the strange ice. You frown in determination and began punching the ice prison gain, finally managing to break through. You ignore the pain and the fact that the flames were slowly inching down your arms like that of a lit match, burning your flesh along the way. Before the flames could reach half your forearm, you find a weak spot and the ice shatters completely.

Your heart lightens a little bit, which seemed to trigger an off switch of sorts and the flames went out. You collapsed next to the raven and felt for a pulse, tears turning from fear to that of relief when you find one, but you wipe them away and try to wake you companion. However, he does not stir.

"Please. _Please_ wake up Reborn. Please." You rest you forehead on his chest, tears escaping you again. "Oh god, please. Not again. Please Reborn. Don't leave me too." You sit up with a start when a cold hand grasps your upper arm and break into a smile. You tackle the man in a fierce hug. "Thank god."

But Reborn pulls away. "Get out of here. Do you hear me? Run and don't look back."

You shake your head. "No. Not without you."

"Get going. Now!" Reborn urged.

Suddenly black chains shot out and wrapped themselves around the suited man, pulling him away quickly back through the doors.

"No!" You scream, running after your friend. The door slammed shut in your face and you could only pound away weakly. "Reborn! No! _Reborn_! Shit. _Shit_." You whirl around and glare at the so-called court. "Why are you doing this!"

"Your friend trespassed on my territory, someplace no human should tread," the king arose, finally speaking for the first time since he entered. "He nearly damaged my tree of life."

"How were we supposed to know?" You shout angrily. "We came here for a vacation. How were we supposed to know about anything that goes on around here when we received no warning?"

"It was left to the humans to pass the warning down upon their generations," the king replied evenly. "It was not our duty to monitor how the warnings were given out."

Fury boils inside of you. How ridiculous! How unjust! How unfair! Your hands scream in agony when you curl them into tight fists once more. "For that reason you…You monster. Give him back! Let Reborn go!"

Your voice falters with your breath and you grasp your chest. You couldn't breathe. It was just a panic attack, but if you didn't calm down, then you would pass out. You force yourself to take deep breaths before looking back at the man who was still approaching you. He reaches out to touch your face, but you move away, glaring hatefully despite the tears pouring down your face.

The blonde's hand hangs in the air for another few seconds before he lets it fall to his side. He smiled in what he probably thought was supposed to be a calming manner, but it gave you the chills. "Since you came to my court when called, why don't we strike a deal."

You continue glaring, hoping that maybe you would be able to melt his face off with the force.

Nevertheless, the king continued smiling in that sly manner. "All you have to do is complete seven tasks, one for each member of my court along with myself. Easy enough correct?"

You narrow your eyes suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"No catch, unless you call staying within my kingdom in between tasks at catch. Although, I suppose that the time limit would be considered one. You have until the night of the red moon to accomplish all seven tasks. That's one week. So what say you?"

You say nothing right away. Something about this man makes it impossible for you to trust anything he says. "And what of Reborn?"

"He shall be released back to the human world with no charge." The king replied coolly.

Your eyes narrow a little further when you catch a missing detail. "And what of me?"

"Of course you shall be free to leave as well if you wish." The king's smile brightened sickeningly.

Your gut told you that, that was a lie, but what proof did you have? Plus, you really didn't want to upset this tyrannical king any more than what was already done. Who knew what he would do if he was enraged enough to follow through with his plans before you could find a way around them?

"What's the first task?"

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**There were a lot of cliffhangers there, weren't there?...**

**Well I hoped you liked it! Reviews are lovely~!**


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